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Directions: News: Strikes to hit airports

Directions is edited by Susan d'Arcy

November 24 2002, 12:00am, The Sunday Times

Almost 5,000 airport firefighters, security staff and maintenance workers at Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Southampton are involved in the action in a dispute over pay. The Transport and General Workers Union, the main union representing the workers, says: “There will be massive disruption at the airports, and they may have to shut down.” As well as Thursday’s disruption, members are also planning industrial action on December 2, 10, 15 and 23 and January 2.

BAA, which runs the airports, moved to play down fears of travel chaos. “We hope to keep the airports open. We are working on contingency plans to maintain safe operations.” However, these are subject to approval by the Civil Aviation Authority, which may decide that fire cover is…